Updated July 18, 2024
In March 2024, the Center of Disease Control (CDC) updated their COVID guidelines, shifting recommendations to better align with general Respiratory Virus Guidelines. Below is an outline of new procedures Freire Schools will be implementing to align with the CDC’s recommendations.
Our top priority is to keep our students and families safe, and we know that being in school is critically important to our students. Vaccination is still the best way to protect students and staff and minimize interruptions to in-person learning. Anyone who is eligible should be vaccinated. You can reach out to your health care provider or local pharmacy to receive the vaccine.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Johnny Mills, Director of Operations for Freire Schools, at johnny@freireschools.org.
What to do if your child has COVID
If your child tests positive or is showing symptoms of COVID, they should stay home. Your child can return to school when both of the following are true:
- Your child has been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and
- Your child’s symptoms are improving overall.
Upon return to school, your child is encouraged to take additional preventative measures, like wearing a well fitting mask, for 5 additional days.
Parents must send in a doctor’s note or positive PCR test documenting that they have COVID so that the absences will be marked Excused.
Masking
Masks remain optional at Freire Schools and students and staff are no longer required to wear a mask due to COVID exposure alone. Masks are an excellent defense against the spread of COVID, Flu, and the common cold and members of our community are free to wear one if they would like extra protection.
Students recovering from COVID are encouraged to wear a mask for the first 5 days after returning to school.
COVID Exposure or Close-Contact
Now that the CDC recommends treating COVID like other respiratory viruses, close contacts do not need to quarantine or wear a mask because of exposure alone.
As always, we recommend that students and families remain current with their COVID vaccines and boosters as the best deterrent from serious infection/illness. There is a booster available now that provides the best protection available for the strains that are currently circulating.
Additional Resources
- Freire Charter School Health & Safety Plan (Updated November 2024)
- COVID-19 Guidance, City of Philadelphia
- COVID-19 Guidelines, Center of Disease Control
As we have all experienced, this pandemic is ever evolving. Freire Schools will continue to assess the pandemic climate and monitor PDPH and CDC guidance to determine if we need to adjust our current protocols (e.g. heighten masking precautions, enforcing public mandates again).
